Judiciary

SB 791 (the Community Trust Act) prohibits employees of Maryland state and local correctional facilities from asking about or detaining individuals based on immigration status, notifying federal immigration authorities without a court order, or transferring people to federal authorities without a judicial warrant. It allows limited exceptions only for routine booking procedures or when immigration status affects legal protections under state/federal law or international treaties. The bill requires correctional facilities to adopt compliance policies with penalties for violations and gives affected individuals the right to sue for damages if their rights are breached. This directly affects correctional staff and facilities, not the general public.

SB 982 allows mutual insurance holding companies in Maryland to convert their structure to become mutual insurers (companies owned by policyholders rather than shareholders). To do this, companies must create a detailed plan of conversion approved by their board, 75% of voting members, and the Maryland Insurance Commissioner. The plan requires existing policies to remain in effect, membership interests to transfer to the new mutual insurer, and the converted company to maintain sufficient funds for policyholder protection. This bill amends Maryland’s insurance laws to establish these requirements and streamline the conversion process.

This bill sets new salary schedules for the Howard County Sheriff and State's Attorney, effective October 1, 2026. It establishes specific annual compensation amounts for both positions through 2030, with the Sheriff's salary tied to a police management schedule for the first year of their term and the State's Attorney's salary linked to a District Court judge's pay for 2026. The legislation also includes a provision ensuring these salary changes apply only to officials whose terms begin after the act takes effect, except for those appointed or elected to fill unexpired terms.

HB 1605 repeals a provision requiring counties to pay 50% of compensation costs for individuals wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit. Currently, counties covered half the state's compensation payments under Maryland law; this bill shifts the full financial responsibility to the state. The change directly affects wrongly convicted individuals (who continue to receive full compensation) and county governments (which no longer bear 50% of the costs). The bill takes effect October 1, 2026, and does not alter the compensation calculation or benefits provided to affected individuals.

HB 1586 adds "coercive control" to Maryland's definition of abuse for protective order petitions, specifically for adults experiencing psychological manipulation. It defines coercive control as patterns of behavior including isolating victims from support networks, depriving them of basic needs, controlling finances or movements, or using threats (including about immigration status) to force compliance. This allows individuals in abusive relationships - where physical violence may not occur - to seek protective orders based on these non-physical tactics. The bill updates existing Family Law sections (4-501 and 4-504) to include these specific examples of coercive control as grounds for relief.